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See the Horrifying Moment a Rangers Player Was Hit in the Eye With a Hockey Puck

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Lately, there have been a number of fascinating and comical hockey stories floating around. Yesterday, we brought you one junior player’s epic meltdown and a then a subsequent story about a curious fight on the ice. Today, there’s yet another story — this time a more horrifying one.

Last night, New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal was hit directly in the eye with a puck. The terrifying incident unfolded during his team’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Here’s how it went down: Kimmo Timonen, defenseman for the Flyers, took a slap shot, the puck hit another player’s stick and then it smacked Staal right in the face, reports USA Today.

Photo Credit: NBC Sports’ Liam McHugh

The dramatic incident left the player in extreme pain, as he instantly dropped to the ice and moved around feverishly, while holding his face. Sporting News reports that Staal was bleeding both on the ice and as he made his way to the training room. The outlet continues:

The accident occurred at 5:45 of the third period when Flyers winger Jakub Voracek tipped a shot by defenseman Kimmo Timonen.

Staal, it has to be noted, does not wear a visor—and make no mistake, you’re going to hear that a lot in the coming days. Many have logically called for visors to be mandatory, and Staal’s injury may make the best case yet. Players must wear facial protection at every other level of hockey, including in the AHL, which passed the rule in 2006.

It seems the player’s fellow teammates were also shaken by what unfolded. In fact, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist called the entire incident “scary.”

“You could just hear that he was in a lot of pain. It was tough to focus after that. It was really tough,” he said following the game. “Hopefully, it’s not too bad, but it probably will take a while before we know what’s going on.”

Below, see a video of the shocking development:

And here’s a clearer video that shows the incident up-close:

Staal did not return to the game and there’s no update on his condition. In the end, the Rangers won 4-2.